KARAGA FESTIVAL: CELEBRATING THE POWER OF WOMEN

In the troubled times facing the country today, where corruption rules, human values are degrading and women feel insecure just catching a bus to work, how heartwarming and surprising would it be to see a celebration of female power by men? Have trouble believing it? Head to Bengaluru this March and participate in the Karaga Festival, one of the oldest in the region, and see scores of men praise goddess Shakti in a unique way.

The beautiful city of Bengaluru and its variety of tourist attractions

The story

Karaga is a traditional festival of the Thigala community of southern Karnataka who tell of a legend from the Indian epic Mahabharata where the Pandava queen Draupadi took the form of Shakti to destroy the last asura (demon) on Earth, Tripurasur. She created an army of ‘Veerakumars’ and vanquished the monster. But as this was the last leg of the Pandava’s journey to heaven, she could not stay back with the Veerakumars despite their insistence. Instead she promised them an annual visit on the first full moon of the first month of the Hindu calendar, Chitra Poornima. The Thigala believe themselves to be the Veerakumars and welcome goddess Shakti on her yearly visit by celebrating the Karaga Festival.

Photo Credit: Shri / Wikimedia

The rituals

The Karaga Festival is mainly a colourful procession that runs from Dharmarayaswami Temple through the length of the city covering most main streets before returning to the temple. This is the most evident part of the festival, infectious in its enthusiasm and its praise of the goddess Shakti. The sheer enthusiasm of the participants, the vibrant atmosphere and the colourful costumes make it picture perfect. Other rituals precede the procession and have mainly to do with prayers, recitation of mantras and the installation of the Karaga (a floral pot made from the soil from the bed of the Sampangi Tank near Cubbon Park) in the temple.

The most fascinating aspect of the festival is the ‘carrier’ of the Karaga, chosen from thousands of Veerakumars and the one who leads the procession. In a traditional display of the belief that males and females are but parts of a whole, the chosen carrier dresses up in feminine clothing as Draupadi and bears the 20 kilogram Karaga decorated like a Shikhara (dome) on his head. The procession starts from the Dharmarayaswami Temple with the Veerakumaras guarding the Karaga bearer; with bare swords they beat on their chests in a show of valor and strength. The procession is called Karaga Jatre and cuts through religious lines, visiting the Sufi Shrine in Cubbonpete, the final resting place of the 18^th century Sufi saint Hazrat Takwal Mastan.

A testimony to the syncretic culture of the city, the festival in Bengaluru is vibrant, colorful and worth a visit. Head to the city this March and be a part of this exciting event; don’t forget to tell us all about it, we’re all ears! Choose from a number of flights and hotels only at MakeMyTrip!